Business Developer Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Business Developer, or a Business Development Manager, helps a company grow by finding new business opportunities to increase revenue. Their duties include finding new clients for the business, designing proposals for new products and services and maintaining existing client relationships.

 

Build a Job Description
Are you a Job Seeker? Find Jobs

Business Developer duties and responsibilities

A Business Developer’s primary duty is to identify new business opportunities. They also would generally have the following responsibilities:

  • Developing new products and services, including detailed market strategies and pricing plans
  • Pitching products and services to new customers and offering new services to existing customers
  • Researching new markets
  • Initiating new partnerships and possible business acquisitions
  • Preparing product pitches and making presentations to prospective clients and investors
  • Seeking out funding and investment for the business
  • Collaborating with the sales and marketing teams to identify more effective marketing strategies
  • Maintaining client, investor and other business stakeholder relationships
  • Collaborating with the design and production teams to ensure that contracted product specifications are executed on time and as agreed 
  • Becoming a subject matter expert on the company’s business products, processes and operations and remaining up-to-date on industry news

 

Build a Job Description
Are you a Job Seeker? Find Jobs

What does a Business Developer do?

A Business Developer finds or creates more business opportunities for an organisation. They do this by finding new clients, designing new products and offerings for new and existing clients, and seeking out public and private sector partnerships. A Business Developer’s goal is to generate more revenue for their company. This can be achieved by expanding the current client base or expanding into new markets. 

Business Developers need an in-depth understanding of their company’s business model, products and services and their target audience to enable them to create practical solutions for the company. 

 

Business Developer skills and qualifications

A successful Business Developer will have the following prerequisite skills and qualifications:

  • In-depth knowledge of business management principles
  • Project management skills
  • Market research and strategic planning
  • Working knowledge of word processing tools and other relevant software packages such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access and any other industry-related software
  • Numeracy and excellent mathematical skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Strong negotiation skills
  • Creativity and innovation

 

Business Developer experience requirements

Typically, a Business Developer requires one to two years of experience on the job. This experience can be acquired through an internship or apprenticeship. Through this, they should have acquired a strong foundation in negotiating business deals, seeking out partnerships and acquiring new clients. Other experience requirements include a background in sales, marketing, or business management.

Senior Business Developers or Business Development Executives require a minimum of five years of experience on the job. In addition to the above, they also need to have some management or leadership experience.

 

Business Developer education and training requirements

Becoming a Business Developer requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies, Finance, Economics or a related field. A Master’s Degree in Business Management is not mandatory but is useful.  Without a university degree, prospective Business Developers may obtain a Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Business, or a Level 3 Certificate in Business Development Skills or Sales Management through the Northern Council for Further Education (NCFE).

The Institute of Leadership and Management also offers useful certificate courses in business and sales. Business Developers can also obtain the London School of Business and Finance’s Diploma in Business Development Techniques.

 

Business Developer salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, a Business Developer in the United Kingdom can expect a salary of £36,785 per year. Business Developer salary expectations depend on their industry, level of seniority in the company they work for and its geographical location. 

 

Job description samples for similar positions

If you found this Business Developer job description useful and would like to see sample job descriptions for similar roles, take a look at the following:

 

Ready to Hire? Build a Job Description

Business Developer job description FAQs

 

What are the different types of Business Developers?

Business Developers may specialise based on their industry for example there are IT Business Developers and Finance Business Developers. Business Developers can also be categorised across their general focus; namely, Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C).

 

Who does a Business Developer report to?

This depends on the industry or specific company. A Business Developer reports to an Executive Director, the Chief Operating Officer or the Chief Executive Officer. 

 

What makes a good Business developer job description?

Use clear and concise language in your job description. Ensure that all terminology used will be familiar to potential applicants. Include all the necessary requirements, such as education, skills and qualifications and any necessary certifications to help you filter the position. 

Clearly outline the responsibilities you will expect the Business Developer to fulfil. Include salary expectations and any specialisations you may require.

 

Do Business Developers have the same responsibilities across industries?

Not entirely. The key responsibility remains the same — to identify new business opportunities and generate more revenue for the company. However, the day-to-day tasks will vary based on the specific requirements of their industry.

Job Description Examples

A-C D-H I-L M-P Q-S T-Z
No search results found

    *Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your career or legal advisor, and none of the information provided herein guarantees a job offer.